Just a face
by Obitobito
Summary: Sometimes The Hidden Leaf Village was exceptionally peaceful. At these times the ninjas didn't have much to do, and even less to discuss. And when they had nothing to discuss, they usually talked about food, ladies, their students and, well - Kakashi's face. (KakaObi implied)


**Just a face**

Sometimes The Hidden Leaf Village was exceptionally peaceful.

The sky was light blue, birds were singing, leaves flapping - and not much else was happening. The soft afternoon sun of the pleasant autumn day felt mellow on the shinobis' cheeks. Obito, Asuma and Kurenai we sitting - or rather, lounging - on the front stairs of their favourite tea room. They were eating their dangos and sipping on tea, thinking about everything and nothing in particular, wasting time like the young Jounins typically tended to. At these times they didn't have much to do, and even less to talk about.

And when they had nothing to talk about, they usually talked about food (arguing about which place had the best barbecue), ladies (only in male company), their students (who's students were the best) and, well - Kakashi's face.

"What a day", Kurenai suddenly exhailed, breaking the languid silence. "It's been so peaceful lately. No important missions. The highligt of my day was probably almost seeing Kakashi's face."

Obito's lazy gaze was following a lonely raven that flew above in the sky. He was resting his elbows on the upper stair, still deep in his thoughts. Asuma lifted his position slightly out of interest, turning to the kunoichi next to him.

"Almost?"

"Yes, I saw him taking a sip out of a bottle of water. I think I caught a glimpse of his profile. It was a rather quick glimpse, though."  
Asuma and Kurenai both sighed. _Almost._

"It's ridiculous. How come no one has seen his bloody face yet? We've all known him for… what, more than ten years?" Asuma groaned.  
"A man has to eat and drink, yet he seems capable of doing neither in public."

"Oh, I know. It's a mystery."

Obito shook his head out of his thoughts and raised his brows. "Mm, what's a mystery?"

"Kakashi's face!" Kurenai and Asuma exclaimed in unison.

"Oh. On about that again, huh." Obito rolled his eyes back to the sky and chewed on the skewer that came with the dumplings. They had discussed the topic about eight hundred times during the past week.  
"What's so fascinating about it? I think the guy just has some sort of a mask fetish, that's all."

The other ninjas both faced Obito with wide eyes. Did the Uchiha know something they didn't?

"What do you mean? You don't say…" Asuma turned to Kurenai with a glance of surprise.  
"You have seen his face?!"

Obito yawned loudly and stretched his arms, rubbing his neck that was stiff from the lack of activity.  
"Sure. What did you think? Guys, I was in the same team with him for like, ages. I couldn't have avoided it, even though I tried."

There was a collective 'ooh' coming from the other two.

"Well?!" Kurenai shifted closer to the black-haired young man.

"'Well', what?" Obito furrowed. He was starting to feel less and less comfortable attending this conversation. Why the hell was that asshole's face so damn important anyway? There was nothing fascinating about it. Hell, it was just a face. Everybody's got a face. His own wasn't too bad a face, either. In fact Obito couldn't but feel a little jealous of all the attention that his former teammate got, and what annoyed him even more was that it seemed Kakashi couldn't care less whether he got attention or not. But perhaps it was just a part of his act.

Obito was sure Kakashi was wearing the mask just to create some sorts of mysterious, exciting, captivating vibes that radiated all around him whenever he was present. How come everyone was dumb enough to fall into this plot? Obito growled under his breath. For the sake of his pride, he couldn't bring himself to memorize how desperately he used to try to get a peek of what was hidden inside that annoying piece of cloth. How had he been so stupid? He used to stalk Kakashi when they were younger - he followed his teammate around the whole Village for hours just to catch him off guard and have a big laugh. Unfortunately, it always ended up with Kakashi having the last laugh: dragging Obito around on his footsteps all day, even though he knew all along that the brunette was following him.

Screw Kakashi and his precise nose. He had always been the dullest to try any pranks on. Even when Obito's prank seemed to succeed, Kakashi made it look like he didn't give a damn and had simply allowed it to succeed. It was no fun. No matter how the Uchiha struggled, he couldn't make Kakashi lose his face. Pranking Kakashi was like voluntarily preparing a situation for him to get to embarrass the prankster. Obito knew this best.

Kakashi had never lost his face, but the mask - that Obito had seen him losing.

So he had seen Kakashi's face. Well… It was a face. What more was there to it? Obito recalled the first time it happened. Team 7 had been on a mission and Kakashi had once again attempted something crazy to show off his Chidori, and poor Rin had to take care of his wounds. The silver-haired boy's skin had been uncovered from head to his waist while the flame of Rin's chakra healed his scratches.  
It seemed Kakashi made no fuss at all about taking the mask off. When it came down to it, he had no problem revealing his face. All Obito could remember was that the fuss inside his own head was too great to focus on anything else than Kakashi's freshly revealed pure skin. _His nose, mouth, accurate and sharp jawline, round cheekbones, soft lightly pink lips…_

_Damn it!_ Obito felt a soft, warm blush arise on his cheeks and mentally punched himself in the face. What the hell was he imagining just now?

"Haa! I see, I see!" Asuma let out a boisterous chuckle. "So he really is _that_ pretty! Who would've thought he even makes boys blush?"

"What?!" Obito fliched as if someone had pinched him and his eyes widened. He tried to cool himself down, but all this seemed to make his face even darker shade of red. This conversation was starting to be really, really uncomfortable.

"No! What the hell are you saying! It's just a… a face!"

Asuma leaned way closer to the Uchiha than appropriate, his face twisted in a creepy, perverted smirk. "You've seen something you like, eeh, Uchiha boy?"

"Fuck off, Asuma!" Obito pushed the guy off his personal space, making the other two shinobis burst into an even more joyful giggle. Geez, his friends could be such jerks!

And, as if Obito's pride hadn't already got a slap and his _preferences_ insulted enough, the worst was only ahead. While Obito was busy punching and strangling Asuma, who was laughing on the verge of tears, a certain man appeared on the street, approaching the three in a slow and steady pace. His steps were idle, one hand was tucked into his pocket while the other held a small book that he was reading in a very thorough manner. As he was passing by the fellow ninjas, completely drowned in the intriguing plot of the newest Icha Icha novel, his attention was quickly drawn to the side by Asuma's eager shriek.

Asuma couldn't just have let it go, could he.

"'Oi, Kakashi! We were just talking about you _and guess what -_"

Kakashi halted on the spot, lowering the book and raising his uninterested glance toward his friends, watching Asuma's mouth get blocked by Obito's palm. Obito's face was bright red and Kurenai was bent in double in laugher. He had no desire to join in whatever the hell was going on. His comrades seemed to have such strange ways of entertaining themselves, Kakashi wondered. They really had no justification for questioning his way of spending his freetime with adult novels.

"Hmm?" the silver-haired raised an eyebrow at the three. Asuma was out of breath, striving not too determinedly in Obito's strict grasp that was not going to be loosened any time soon. Too bad, though - he had Kurenai on his side. And she was not going to let this go.

"Oh yes, we were just supporting Obito here as he was expressing his secret feelings towards you! Gotta let the poor man speak his heart!"

Obito could've died.  
Ninjas could be merciless in so many other ways than just ninjutsu style.

Kakashi lowered his book fully down.

"Feelings?" he blinked.

"Nothing! Nothing at all! You can go, uh, do whatever you where doing! There's nothing interesting going on here!" Obito hissed while still strangling Asuma, speaking so fast that the sentences barely made any sense. He felt his ears burning.

But it was not like Kakashi was going to leave _now_. Not when he saw Obito so desperately bothered and queasy. This was when he came in and added a bit of extra spark into the deliciously smouldering fire.

"Oh. You mean the other night, right? It was good. I know, no need to thank me again. By the way, Obito - you forgot your shirt at my place. Come get it when you want, I'm home in the evening."

And with that, Kakashi turned and raised the book again, got lost into it in an instant and continued walking to wherever he had been going in the first place, leaving the three mates entangle the aftermath by themselves.

Asuma, finally released from Obito's restrain, shared a significant, speechless look with Kurenai. Then they both turned to Obito, who was still staring the way Kakashi had went, having seemingly forgotten how to close his mouth. There was merely a need for words when the fire had already succesfully settled on hot embers.

_fin_


End file.
